The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a sealing device and to a houseware dispenser or shaker that is used to store and dispense powdery or granular substances.
It is oftentimes desirable to add powdery or granular spices or other powdery or granular food additives of varying consistency to food that is being prepared for consumption. It is well known in the art to use a dispenser or shaker in which openings or dispensing holes are formed, through which the powdery or granular substance passes as it is dispensed. It is also well known in the art to provide a shaker with a removable lid to provide access to the interior of the shaker. The removable lid allows the shaker to be filled and cleaned. This feature is very important in restaurant businesses and food industries.
Oftentimes a removable lid is used that is threaded onto the body of a shaker. However, restaurants often use many shakers, and the time required to thread and unthread the lids to fill and clean the shakers can be burdensome. Also, the substance within the body of the shaker tends to accumulate over time in the threads of the threaded lid when the shaker is inverted to dispense the substance, which makes it more difficult to clean and to remove and replace the threaded lid. Also, as the powdery or granular substance accumulates in the threading of the lid it often migrates out of the shaker through the space between the lid and the body of the shaker when the shaker is used.
Therefore, the restaurant industry often uses shakers that have removable lids that do not need to be threaded onto the shaker body. Lids of this type are more quickly and easily removable, so that the shakers may be filled and cleaned more quickly than shakers with threaded lids. These types of shakers also present a more smooth and sleek appearance than threaded shakers, and are often deemed more visually attractive than threaded shakers, making them more desirable in the restaurant and food industries.
However, shakers having lids that are not threaded have a greater tendency to allow powdery or granular substances to leak out of the container through the space between the lid and the body of the shaker. Therefore, there is a need for a shaker with a lid that is not threaded, and that prevents the powdery or granular substance within the shaker from migrating from the shaker during use.
A seal may be placed within the lid to prevent powdery or granular substances within the shaker from migrating from the shaker between the lid and the shaker body. The seal must be easily removable to allow for quick and effective cleaning, yet it must be rigid enough so it can be seated well. Yet it must be malleable enough to form an effective seal between the lid and the shaker body. Also, the seal must be able to maintain its sealing ability over time, and not be easily deformed permanently as a result of its frequent removal from the shaker for cleaning purposes.
Therefore, there is a need for a shaker for dispensing powdery or granular substances with a lid that is easily and quickly removable, that seals against the migration of powdery or granular substances between the body of the shaker and the lid when the shaker is being used, and which seal can be removed for cleaning purposes.